Honours Bachelor of Commerce (Financial Services) Program (B302)

The Honours Bachelor of Commerce (Financial Services) is a four-year business degree that was developed with employers to create graduates who can thrive in today's financial services industry. After the first year of studies, students can choose from either the Accounting or Financial Planning specialization.

Whether you are seeking a career as a professional accountant or a financial planner, this program provides the skills, knowledge and real-world experience to help you succeed.

The program includes:

• Work integrated learning experiences that amount to no less than 14 weeks of full-time equivalent work (420 hours), either in one block or in multiple cumulative blocks appropriate to achieving the program learning outcomes
• Accounting, banking management, administration and financial planning theory, as well as the practice of applying concepts in the real word
• A state-of-the-art facility that includes network-ready wireless classrooms and study areas
• Curriculum that is current and has been developed with input from our industry partners, the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario and the Financial Planners Standards Council

This Centre for Business program is part of our School of Accounting and Finance.

Work experience is required as part of this program.

Work Experience

The Honours Bachelor of Commerce (Financial Services) degree includes Co-op experience(s) that amounts to no less than 14 weeks of full-time equivalent work (420 hours), either in one block or in multiple cumulative blocks appropriate to achieving the learning outcomes.

The Co-op experience usually occurs between your sixth and seventh semesters if taken in one block and all 420 hours must be completed before the seventh semester. This work experience provides you with the practical experience employers value. Organizations in the following categories are engaged as field education partners for the Financial Services degree:

• financial institutions
• accounting and accounting-related organizations
• small businesses
• not-for-profit organizations
• government offices
• major corporations

George Brown works with employers and industry partners to identify potential work experience opportunities. Students are also strongly encouraged to pursue self-directed industry work experience opportunities they believe would provide the learning experiences they value and meet the learning outcomes of the program. This valuable work experience can, in turn, be added to your resume.

In addition to on-the-job work experience, George Brown College endeavours to provide field education opportunities with real-world challenges and clients. Find out more about field education at the Centre for Business.

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

1. Communicate information and concepts clearly and concisely using the most appropriate methods for the message, its purpose and its audience.
2. Work effectively in teams to achieve desired goals and outcomes by managing projects, resolving conflicts, addressing differing points of view and demonstrating self-awareness, self-confidence and self-management.
3. Solve business problems by interpreting data from primary and secondary sources in qualitative and quantitative analyses.
4. Evaluate risk, economics, environmental, ethical, legal, political, sociological and technical factors to support strategic decisions.
5. Formulate and communicate sound arguments using critical evaluation of research, personal and societal contexts.
6. Develop solutions to financial problems using relevant business and statistical models.
7. Assess the overall financial performance of an individual or organization and prepare appropriate financial reports.
8. Adhere to appropriate professional, legal and ethical codes of conduct and comply with government and industry regulations.
9. Use appropriate business software to manage data, analyze financial information, and create business reports.
10. Demonstrate awareness of uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of knowledge and how these might influence analysis and decisions.
11. Gather and evaluate data, formulate arguments and solve problems using appropriate methods of research and enquiry.

* Amounts listed are the total of tuition, materials, student service and ancillary fees for the first two semesters of programs starting in Fall 2019. Fees are subject to change for programs starting in Fall 2020 and at later dates.

† This program includes 1 Work Experience semester or equivalent. The cost of the Work Experience Preparation course and the Work Experience semester is included in first year tuition.

International students: Visit the International Fees and Related Costs page for more information.

The program (Financial Planning Specialization) teaches the curriculum required to prepare to write industry-credentialing exams. These include:

• Canadian Securities Course I and II (CSC I and CSC II)
• Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) Exam or the Qualified Associate Financial Planner (QAFP®) Exam
• Life License Qualification Program (LLQP)
• An Approved LLQP training course
• LLQP Provincial Examination

Fees for external exams are not included and are an additional cost to this program. Students or graduates should visit the following websites for information regarding exam dates and fees:

• FP Canada
• Canadian Securities Institute
• Oliver's Learning (or another approved provider)
• Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario

This program is approved for OSAP funding, provided the applicant meets OSAP eligibility criteria.